John Johnson Sr.

Brief Life History of John

When John Johnson Sr. was born on 11 April 1778, in Chesterfield, Cheshire, New Hampshire, United States, his father, Israel Johnson, was 40 and his mother, Abiel Higgins, was 37. He married Mary Elsa Jacobs in 1799, in Chesterfield, Cheshire, New Hampshire, United States. They were the parents of at least 9 sons and 6 daughters. He died on 30 July 1843, in Kirtland, Lake, Ohio, United States, at the age of 65, and was buried in Kirtland North Cemetery, Kirtland, Lake, Ohio, United States.

Photos and Memories (74)

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Family Time Line

John Johnson Sr.
1778–1843
Mary Elsa Jacobs
1781–1870
Marriage: 1799
Alice "Elsa" Johnson
1800–1841
Olmstead G Johnson
–1834
Robert Johnson
1802–1861
Fanny Johnson
1803–1879
John Johnson Jr.
1805–1887
Luke Johnson
1807–1861
Lyman Eugene Johnson
1811–1859
Emily Hannah Johnson
1813–1855
Marinda Nancy Johnson
1815–1886
Mary Beal Johnson
1818–1833
Justin Jacob Johnson
1820–1894
Edwin Johnson
1821–1830
Charlotte Johnson
1821–1830
Albert G Johnson
1823–1830
Joseph Wilson Johnson
1826–1906

Sources (39)

  • John Johnson, 1830 United States Federal Census
  • John Johnson, Membership of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1830-1848 [birth date]
  • John Johnson, Family Data Collection - Individual Records, Marriage

World Events (8)

1781 · The First Constitution

Serving the newly created United States of America as the first constitution, the Articles of Confederation were an agreement among the 13 original states preserving the independence and sovereignty of the states. But with a limited central government, the Constitutional Convention came together to replace the Articles of Confederation with a more established Constitution and central government on where the states can be represented and voice their concerns and comments to build up the nation.

1788 · New Hampshire Helps Ratify the US Constitution

On June 21, 1788, New Hampshire became the ninth and final state needed to ratify the US Constitution and make it the official law of the land

1800 · Movement to Washington D.C.

While the growth of the new nation was exponential, the United States didn’t have permanent location to house the Government. The First capital was temporary in New York City but by the second term of George Washington the Capital moved to Philadelphia for the following 10 years. Ultimately during the Presidency of John Adams, the Capital found a permanent home in the District of Columbia.

Name Meaning

English and Scottish: patronymic from the Middle English and Older Scots personal name Johan, Jo(h)n (see John ) + -son. It was often interchanged with Jenson and Janson . In North America, this surname has absorbed cognates from other languages, e.g. Norwegian, Danish, or North German Johnsen , Johannesen , Johannsen , Johansen , Jansen , Jantzen , and Jensen , Swedish Johnsson (see below), Johansson , Jonsson , and Jansson , Dutch Janssen , German Janz , Czech Jansa 1, and Slovenian Janša (see Jansa 2) and Janežič (see Janezic ). Johnson (including in the sense 2 below) is the second most frequent surname in the US. It is also the second most common surname among Native Americans and a very common surname among African Americans.

Americanized form (and a less common Swedish variant) of Swedish Johnsson: patronymic from the personal name John, a variant of Jon (see John ). Compare 1 above.

History: Surname Johnson was brought independently to North America by many different bearers from the 17th and 18th centuries onward. Andrew Johnson (1808–75), 17th president of the US, was born in Raleigh, NC, the younger son of Jacob Johnson and Mary (or Polly) McDonough. Little is known of his ancestors. The 36th president, Lyndon B. Johnson, dates his American forebears back seven generations to James Johnston (sic) (born c. 1662) who lived at Currowaugh, Nansemond, and Isle of Wight counties, VA. — Noted early bearers also include Marmaduke Johnson (died 1674), a printer who came from England to MA in 1660; Edward Johnson (1598–1672), a colonial chronicler who was baptized at St. George's parish, Canterbury, England, and emigrated to Boston in 1630; and Sir Nathaniel Johnson (c. 1645–1713), a colonial governor of Carolina, who came from County Durham, England.

Dictionary of American Family Names © Patrick Hanks 2003, 2006.

Possible Related Names

Story Highlight

A House Divided: The John Johnson Family

Ensign Magazine – February 1979 BY KEITH PERKINS - Keith W. Perkins, associate professor of Church history and doctrine at Brigham Young University and father of four children, serves as assistant c …

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